By Chris Nomjov
The Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, is calling on INEC to conduct fresh elections in Rivers State, stating that, from what he personnally observed, elections did not take place in the State, yesterday.
The Governor, who appeared on Channels Television’s election coverage programme, ‘Nigeria 2015’, in the early hours of Sunday, alleged that from what he witnessed, there was a deliberate plan to scuttle the electoral exercise, yesterday in Rivers state.
“I realised that in all polling units in my ward, all the result sheets had been hijacked and I sought to know why (and) the presiding officers reported that the EOs, that is the Electoral Officers had taken all the result sheets from them.
“Then I began to receive calls from all over the state that they took all the result sheets. I then called the Electoral Commissioner in charge of Rivers State who hails from Bayelsa and shared the same office with the President when the President was working with OMPADEC.
“All she was saying was that as far as she was concerned there were result sheets and I said look ‘There are reports all over the state can you please verify that?’ She refused to say anything further and switched off her phone,” he said.
Governor Amaechi said that up till 5pm he was still at the polling unit asking for the result sheets.
He expressed confidence the report international election observers’ would validate his claims as they also confirmed that they had been to about five Local Government Areas and there were no result sheets.
On the possibility of election results being announced eventually, Amaechi said, “We will not accept that.” “You’ll announce an election that never took place?”
The Governor queried how INEC would come about the results when many of the presiding officers did not return with the card-readers as directed by INEC.
It would be recalled that elections in Rivers state, yesterday was marred by several cases of violence and notably, Governor’s boycott of the elections.
Prior to the commencement of the accreditation exercise in his polling unit, at Ikwerre local government, where he hails; Governor Amaechi allegedly stormed out of the voting area, as it was alleged that, the electoral officials hadn’t come to the unit, with INEC result sheets.
A minor altercation ensured between the Governor and military personnel as he made to leave the unit and inspect the claims that, result sheets had also been absent, at other polling units in the state.
